Rajnath Singh to lead ministers' panel on lynching, mob violence; submit report to PM Modi

Amid rising incidents of mobocracy, the government on Monday constituted a panel headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to formulate appropriate measures and submit a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The development comes days after a man was lynched in Rajasthan's Alwar on suspicion of being cow smuggler.

28-year-old  Akram Khan was allegedly lynched on Friday night by a group of people who accused him of smuggling cows. The incident took place when Khan and his friend Aslam were taking two cows to their village in Haryana through a forested area near Lalawandi in Alwar district when five men attacked them.

Expressing concern over the incidents of violence by mobs in some parts of the country, the government said, "In order to formulate appropriate measures to address the situation, Government has set up a high-level committee chaired by the Union Home Secretary to deliberate in the matter and make recommendations. The Secretary, Department of Justice, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Secretary, Legislative Department and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment are the members of the committee."

The committee will submit its recommendations to the Government within four weeks. Whereas, a group of Ministers headed by the Union Home Minister will consider the recommendations of high-level committee. 

The Minister, External Affairs, Minister, Road Transport and Highways; Shipping Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Minister, Law & Justice and Minister, Social Justice and Empowerment are the members of Group of Ministers and they will submit their recommendations to the Prime Minister. 

"As per the Constitutional scheme, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects. State Governments are responsible for controlling crime, maintaining law and order, and protecting the life and property of the citizens. They are empowered to enact and enforce laws to curb crime in their jurisdiction," government said in a relase.

Last week, asserting that there cannot be any investigation, trial or punishment out on the streets, the Supreme Court said it was the duty of the states to strive and promote fraternity amongst all citizens, as such mob violence was being instigated by intolerance and misinformed by circulation of fake news and false stories.

In a strongly worded 45-page verdict, it said "rising intolerance and growing polarisation", which has led to the spate of such incidents, "cannot be permitted to become the normal way of life", as the instances of lynching and mob violence were creeping threats which may gradually take the shape of a "Typhon-like monster". 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from Rajasthan government in connection with the lynching of a man in Alwar. The Rajasthan police have also set up a high-level committee to probe the allegations of delay against the Alwar police in taking Khan to a hospital.

There have been several incidents of mobocracy across the country over the last few months.

On July 1, a mob had lynched five tribals in Reinpada village in Maharashtra's Dhule after rumours on social media about the possibility of child lifters in the area.

Last month in Maharashtra, two men were beaten to death and seven others were injured after a mob of villagers attacked them on suspicion of being robbers in Chandgaon village in Vaijapur taluka on June 8. The lynching was triggered by fake messages in circulation on the social media.

Before that, in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, two people were pulled out of their vehicle at and beaten to death by a group of irate villagers, who suspected them to be child-lifters on the basis of fake information circulated on social media.